


The Deal

by PinkandRed (LucyRed), Sammykh



Series: Anomaly [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Chara feels their sins crawling on their back, Dubious Consent, No Sex, Other, Papyrus is a treasure, Protective Papyrus, Rape Recovery, Recovery, This time anyway, they're still a manipulative piece of shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-18 10:06:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7310650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucyRed/pseuds/PinkandRed, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sammykh/pseuds/Sammykh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sans figured that now Chara had gotten what they wanted from him, they'd leave him alone.<br/>He is very wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Whoops, That Wasn't Supposed to Happen

**Author's Note:**

> Sans and Papyrus totally speak in hands to each other.  
> Sans when he's feeling too depressed to talk, and Papyrus when he's too busy shoving spaghetti into his face to use his mouth but still has very important things to say.

Chara ponders as they go through the motions of ruling a kingdom, waiting for the skeletons to return. The answer is on the tip of their tongue, but they just can't find it. Chara’s impatience wins, and they have the cook of the castle assemble a gift basket, and, said basket in hand, they head for Snowdin.

 

“SANS...PLEASE JUST TELL ME...I WANT TO HELP YOU!”  Papyrus pleads, holding onto his brother tightly as they rest on the couch, Sans wrapped up in his brother’s arms. 

He takes Papyrus’s ungloved hands and moves them, signing out responses rather than speaking, ‘it’s not that simple.’

“WHY NOT?! WHY CAN’T I HELP YOU?! WOULDN’T YOU FEEL BETTER IF THE MONSTER THAT DID THIS TO YOU WAS PUNISHED?!”

‘loads.’

“THEN WHY DON’T YOU JUST TELL ME?!”

‘justice can’t reach that far this time, Paps. you couldn’t hurt them no matter how badly you wanted to. i’m just trying to protect you.’

“I-I KNOW, BROTHER, YOU ALWAYS ARE! BUT…” Papyrus sobs, resting his head on the top of Sans’s skull,  “WHY CAN’T YOU LET ME PROTECT  _ YOU _ FOR ONCE?!”

‘you are.’  Sans assures, tears falling from his eyes as well, ‘just keeping me safe like this...it means the world to me. you’re the best brother i could’ve asked for.’

_ “BUT I COULDN’T EVEN STOP THIS FROM HAPPENING TO YOU! I WASN’T THERE! I W-WAS SO D-DISTRACTED WITH BEING A ROYAL GUARD TH-THAT I...I NEVER THOUGHT…” _

‘please don’t cry Paps you’re gonna wreck me up too.’

“ARE YOU SURE THERE’S NOTHING I CAN DO TO MAKE YOU FEEL BETTER?”

‘bein’ here for me is the best you can do, bro. don’t worry about it.’

“....WHEN WILL YOU SPEAK AGAIN?”

Sans sighs.  ‘i don’t know.’

“...M-MAYBE IF I-” The doorbell rings and Papyrus looks up,  “...SHOULD I..?”

‘go ahead. just tell ‘em no if they wanna see me. same as usual.’  Sans scoots off of Papyrus’s lap so he can go answer the door, staying huddled at the end of the couch and staring at nothing with empty, half-closed eyes.

Sighing, Papyrus opened up the door,  “OH! WOWIE...HELLO, YOUR MAJESTY!”

Sans immediately goes tense, and his sockets blacken. He starts to tremble, barely biting back a terrified whimper. His SOUL sends nausea-inducing tremors through his bones at the sudden proximity to his Breaker, but is also trying to be delighted. Chara is his Soulmate now, after all. At least in the practical sense.

“Good evening Papyrus. Undyne told me of your Family Emergency, so I brought a gift basket.”

“WOW! THAT’S REALLY NICE OF YOU, YOUR MAJESTY!” Papyrus gratefully accepts the present, “I HAVEN’T HAD MUCH OF A CHANCE TO COOK LATELY...IT’S DIFFICULT TO GET SANS TO EAT ANYTHING...I’M VERY WORRIED…” His smile falters.

“Sans? Is he sick? What’s wrong?” 

“I…”  Papyrus glances back at the silent lump of clothes on the couch before turning back to Chara, lowering his voice,  “DON’T TELL ANYONE ELSE, YOUR MAJESTY, B-BUT...SANS, HIS...HIS SOUL, IT’S…” His eyes start tearing up and he puts his hand over his face,  “I-I...I-I SH-SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING OUT FOR HIM, I….I D-DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO!”

Charas shock is genuine. How can something so drastic have happened to his SOUL only one day after their RESET, “W-what about his SOUL? Papyrus, on my honor no one else will know about this. What happened to his SOUL?” They suddenly have a very sick feeling that settles in their stomach. They don’t like it.

Papyrus bursts into tears,  “I-I D-DON’T KN-KNOW! I J-JUST WENT TO SEE HIM BEFORE TRAINING A-AND...A-AND IT’S FRACTURED! SOMEONE H-HURT HIM, YOUR MAJESTY! AND I WASN’T THERE TO STOP IT!”

It survived the reload. 

Chara feels stunned, feels  _ fear _ , for the first time in a very long time. 

“I-impossible, t-that can’t be true. “

“I-I’M A T-TERRIBLE BROTHER!” Papyrus wails, clutching the basket to his chest,  “SANS DIDN’T WANT ME TO TELL YOU BECAUSE HE SAYS THE PERSON WHO HURT HIM CAN’T BE SERVED JUSTICE! B-BUT I DON’T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO!”

_ ‘yeah like i can’t hear yah from right here, Paps.’  _ Sans gives a weary sigh, his chin dropping to his scarred sternum as he continues listening quietly, keeping his arms crossed tightly over his chest as he tries to calm himself. It’s difficult, as instinct is forcing him to believe that nothing but harm will come to him because of his Breaker, while simultaneously forcing him to also believe that nothing but joy will come to him because of his Soulmate.

Chara reaches out their arms, offering condolences, as they ponder what could has happened. One thing is for sure. Sans is an anomaly. 

And anomalies have to be handled - in that, they need to be kept under tight scrutiny.

Papyrus returns the gesture as much as he can while still holding the basket,  “C-CAN YOU HELP ME FIND WHO DID THIS?!” 

“With all my power Papyrus. Damaging another SOUL is a death sentence.” They will probably have to place the blame on some other monster. This is something that survived a reload. Chara feels themselves shaking. What is going to happen now?

Papyrus mistakes their trembling as them being upset about about Sans’s SOUL,  “IF I COULD JUST GET HIM TO TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED! MAYBE YOU CAN REASON WITH HIM? ASSURANCE FROM THE RULER OF THE UNDERGROUND MIGHT HELP HIM! NO ONE ESCAPES JUSTICE, MAJESTY! THEY CAN HIDE BUT NOT FOR FOREVER!”

_ ‘no Papyrus no no no don’t do this to me-’ _

“I agree, I will speak with him. In the meantime, get in contact with Undyne, and tell her a Soul Breaker is on the run. Don’t give her more than you are willing, but tell her she is to find the offender.”

Papyrus nods, sniffing and wiping his eyes before stepping back inside,  “SANS? I KNOW YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T WANT TO SPEAK TO ANYONE, B-BUT-”

Sans lifts a hand,  ‘i already heard everything, bro. you're not exactly quiet.’

Papyrus winces, looking down,  “I...I'M SORRY, I JUST…”

‘you're just looking out for me. it's alright. go talk to Undyne. catch this sick freak.’

Nodding, Papyrus sets the basket down and goes over to Sans, wrapping him up in his scarf and hugging him,  “I'LL BE BACK SOON, BROTHER!”  He clinks his teeth against the top of Sans’s head as he hugs him back.

‘don't take too long..’  Sans drops his hands and puts them back in his hoodie pockets, looking at his knees.  _ ‘please. don’t leave me alone with them…’ _

Still crying, Papyrus rushes off and heads immediately for Undyne’s station. Sans holds still, as if somehow that will make him invisible to the Prinx.

Chara remains silent for a moment, then, on impulse rushes over to Sans and pulls down the collar of his shirt, revealing their initials, neatly carved. They step back, stunned. “I-impossible.”

He immediately jerks back out of their grip, pulling his shirt back up, “don’t touch me. don’t you  _ d-dare  _ f-fucking touch me!” Sans falls back off the arm of the couch, scrambling away, “g-get out. g-get  _ out just get out _ !”

“Y-you...what...how much do you...?” They can't get the words out properly, their heart is hammering in the shock.

“i remember  _ enough _ !” He presses his back to the wall, curling up his fists as though he can physically fight them.

“How much do you remember?”

Sans looks away from them, pupils shrunk and shoulders trembling. He shouldn’t say anything. He should let them believe that all he can remember is the Fracturing. “..everything.”

“Everything?” They echo, trying to determine what kind of ‘everything’.

“since your first RESET i’ve remembered. every. last. timeline.” Sans wheezes, trying to pull himself together. The shocked and scared look in Chara’s face gives him a bit of courage. “i remember every murder. i remember every  _ torture _ . that’s why i kept rejecting you.  _ That’s why I didn’t want you anywhere near me!” _ He shouts, clenching his teeth, “but you couldn’t just leave me  _ alone _ you had to do... _ this _ …”

Chara felt their blood run cold. They could feel every one of their sins on their back. “Surely you can't remember that long ago. Not even I can remember my first RESET from when I was 12. Despite my age these timelines have been going on for countless years. This... none of this should be possible...” 

They begin to pace, flustered and trying to regain their wits.

“ha...believe me, i wish it wasn’t…” He’s starting to calm down a bit more, but his anxious SOUL continues to keep him tense.

“So if you have known about them for this long, why pretend you didn’t?”

“i didn’t want your attention. i didn’t...i didn’t know what you’d  _ do _ ...i was  _ scared _ .” He still is, honestly. It’s sort of a relief to have this ‘secret’ of his off of his shoulders.

“Fair enough.” They stop pacing. “So, what now?” They are asking themselves and Sans.

“you leave Papyrus and i the hell alone...we pretend this never happened, because it ‘didn’t’, and you stay  _ away _ from me.”

Chara feels their panic start to recede and they begin to strategize once more.

 

 

“I know what I must do that might make this blow over. I-” Chara is interrupted as Papyrus comes through the door.

He's breathless, which is unusual for the tireless skeleton, “I SPOKE WITH UNDYNE! SHE'S ALREADY PUTTING TOGETHER A TEAM! SANS, WE  _ WILL _ FIND THIS MONSTER! I PROMISE!”

Sans closes his eyes and leans back as Papyrus picks him back up, relaxing immediately. Life is a fucking mess, but at least his brother is still here. Hiding his face against Papyrus’s shoulder, Sans sighs, his SOUL brightening up again from its fearful dim color, feeling protected and loved.

“I will take my leave now Papyrus, I wish you the best of luck in finding out who did this.”

“THANK YOU YOUR MAJESTY!” Papyrus holds onto his brother tightly, eyes still teary, “WITH YOUR HELP I KNOW WE CAN FIND THEM!”

 

Once Chara is back at the castle, they mull over their plan. There are a few ways that it can go wrong, but if it goes right, and then this hassle will be over as fast as it began. 

Chara calls in a messenger. “Tell Papyrus I request an audience with him as soon as he feels he is ready.”

“Yes Prinx Chara.”


	2. Don't Anger the Papaya

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus's reactions have always been interesting to study, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Papyrus goes all brother protector mode.

Sans stirs as he hears Papyrus bustling about in his room. He's been holding Sans in his sleep to comfort him, and so it's hard to not hear the movement.

“ Paps ?” Sans says sleepily, watching him with half-lidded eyes, “ whatcha doin’...?”

“THE PRINX HAS NEWS TO SHARE WITH ME REGARDING YOUR OFFENDER! I MUST GO AT ONCE!”

Sans’s heart seizes up in fear for his brother, and he sits up,  “P-Paps-”

“I WILL BE BACK SOON I PROMISE-”

“i’m coming with you.”

Papyrus stops in his tracks.

“you're not going alone.” Sans gets out of bed, standing up,  “let's go.”

Papyrus doesn't know what else to do besides nod and scoop his brother up before jogging for the castle.

“Your Majesty, Papyrus is here with his brother.”

“Tell him to come in alone, and assure his brother we will only be talking.”

 

“Papyrus, Their Majesty requests your presence alone, but also that Sans has nothing to worry.”

“VERY WELL. SANS, I'LL BE JUST A-”  Papyrus tries to pull his hand free. Sans clutches it tighter, his other hand curled into a fist in his pocket as his dark sockets watch the ground.

“you're not going in there alone.”

“SANS, CHARA HAS ASKED FOR ME ONLY-” 

“what could they possibly have to tell you that i can't hear, huh? this is about me, isn't it? you're going in with me or not at all.”

Papyrus glances back at the court messenger helplessly, unsure of what to do.  “CAN...CAN THEIR MAJESTY MAKE AN EXCEPTION? THIS  _ IS _ ABOUT SANS, AND I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE HIM HERE..”

 

“I suppose, yes...I’ll allow it.”

 

Papyrus enters the throne room, his usual quick and confident stride slowed as he keeps pace with Sans, making sure not to hurry him. He pauses to kneel before their Majesty while Sans stays standing. He doesn't let go of Papyrus for a second. 

Chara waited till the room was clear of anyone but their requested audience before speaking. A look of guilt on their face. Sans didn’t believe their mask for a second.

“I have a confession I’d like to make. And before you react, please listen to me in full. Papyrus, as you probably know, I had been attempting to win your brothers affections. This isn’t easy to say, but on the night you found him, he had rejected my attempts for him. I got angry, and foolishly acted. But I tell you, I didn’t know I had hurt him, until you told me at your house. I sincerely apologise, but I don’t expect you to forgive me. Any actions you take against me will be understood. Your brother no longer has to work here, and You may leave as well if you wish.”

Sans's eye is glowing, and he feels Papyrus’s grip on him tighten. There's a long, long moment of silence before Papyrus speaks. 

“YOUR MAJESTY...I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN FORGIVENESS. I HAVE ALWAYS FELT THAT THERE WAS SOME GOODNESS TO BE FOUND IN EVERYONE. I THOUGHT EVEN THE WORST OFFENSE COULD BE PARDONED. I BELIEVED THAT I COULD HELP ANYONE BECOME A BETTER PERSON IF THEY WANTED TO. BUT…”  Papyrus looks down at his shaking brother, his eyes glowing a bright orange color that burns in his sockets, “...I SEE NOW THAT SOME OFFENSES CANNOT BE FORGIVEN. I BELIEVED YOUR LIES. I THOUGHT YOU WERE WANTING TO HELP MY BROTHER. I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO CARRY OUT JUSTICE. BUT NOW I KNOW...I KNOW WHAT YOUR  _ LIES _ SOUND LIKE, AND...I SEE NO REGRET IN YOUR EYES!”  Papyrus picks Sans up, clinging to him tightly and glaring at Chara through teary eyes, trembling in anger,  “I KNOW THERE'S NOTHING I CAN DO. I CAN'T STOP YOU. I CAN'T HELP YOU. ANY ACTION I TRY TO TAKE WILL ONLY HURT MY BROTHER AND I MORE. AND YES, WE  _ DO  _ WISH TO LEAVE! I THOUGHT THAT...I THOUGHT THAT THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO BE WAS A ROYAL GUARD MEMBER. BUT BEFORE I AM ANY OF THAT, I AM A  _ BROTHER _ !”  His voice has raised to an angry shout,  “AND IF YOU EVER COME NEAR HIM AGAIN, I-”

“Paps.”

Papyrus looks down at Sans.

“don't bite it. let's just go home, okay?”

Nodding tightly, Papyrus swallows and gives Chara one last look, “...I BELIEVED IN YOU…” He says hoarsely, as though he can't believe he was ever so blind.

Turning on his heel, Papyrus marches away, throwing open the throne room doors and scaring away anyone in his path.

“h-heh…”  Sans sniffs,  “y-you're pretty scary when y-you're m-mad..”

“I HOPE TO SCARE ANYONE THAT TRIES TO HURT YOU.” Papyrus says tersely, although his voice is shaking.  “NEVER AGAIN, SANS. I PROMISE YOU.”

 

That reaction was fascinating. Never had they seen Papyrus so genuinely angry. The messenger entered the throne room.

“Everything alright your Majesty?”

“Yes. However I request an audience with Undyne immediately.”

“Yes Prinx Chara!”

Sans was a new exception. It was time to learn how to work around him.

“Your Majesty, Undyne has arrived.”

“Thank you, send her in.”

“Any news your Majesty?”

“Yes indeed. We have found, caught, and executed the perpetrator, quietly, upon Papyrus’s request. They had revealed themselves to Papyrus, who reported it immediately to me. He has also requested an indeterminant leave of absence while he tends to his brother.”

“W-what?! Your Majesty I-” Undyne clears her throat as she calms her impulses. “Your Majesty, may I request a day to visit Papyrus?”

“Request granted. You may leave.”

 

“you didn't have to take off your battle body Paps.”

“WELL! IT WAS UNCOMFORTABLE, ANYWAY! IF I WANTED TO FIGHT, THEN I WOULD WEAR IT. BUT I AM NOW ON A MISSION OF COMFORT!” The pajama clad skeletons sat down on the couch with an unhealthy amount of ketchup-soaked popcorn, a month's worth of movies stacked up, “MISSION START! NYEHEHEH..” Papyrus announced dramatically as he clicked the remote. 

Undyne arrives at the house, knocking hesitantly. Papyrus immediately jumps up, eyes glowing as he grabs Sans protectively,  “WHO'S THERE?!”

“Paps, geez…”

“Papyrus, it’s Undyne.”

The skeletons glance at each other. 

“...DO YOU WANT..?”

“go ahead and let her in, Paps. she's a friend.”

Nodding, Papyrus goes over to the door, and there's the sound of multiple locks being turned before it opens,  “HELLO.”  Papyrus greets awkwardly. 

Undyne immediately wraps him in a (very tight) hug. “Papyrus you take all the time you need. I am proud of you for taking charge and doing what you need to do.”

“ALL THE TIME I NEED FROM WHAT?”  Papyrus accepts the hug regardless, of course.

“The Prinx said you were taking an indefinite leave of absence from the castle. However, If you find yourself restless, I would gladly be your workout buddy. Anyway, It wasn’t hard to connect Family Crisis with the Soul Breaker... how is the punk doing?” Undyne asks, breaking the hug, and grabbing Papyrus’s shoulders reassuringly.

“...THEY DIDN'T TELL YOU I QUIT THE ROYAL GUARD?”

“You quit? Wow, i guess that leave of absence is more indefinite than I thought. ”  Undyne chuckles, secretly relieved that she won’t be sending Papyrus into battle come any possible war. “Also, I fully respect your wish to keep the whole situation quiet. I can imagine you want very few to know of your brothers condition. Speaking of, how is he?”

Papyrus’s eyes flare up again and he grits his teeth, giving an angry huff,  “THEY  _ WOULD  _ TELL YOU THAT-”

“sup Undyne.”  Sans calls from the couch, “i’ve been fishin’ to see yah.”

Undyne waves to Sans, entering the house fully before turning back to Papyrus, a worried look on her face. “Papyrus? What do you mean?”

“what, no hello for your hardest working ex-sentry? would it gill ya to stop in?” Sans really doesn't want Papyrus telling her about Chara. 

“More like the laziest.” Undyne says as she chuckles at his puns. She walks up to Sans, concerned. “How are you holding up?”

“doin alright considering..”  He stops, grin faltering a bit, “......yeah, i’m fine.”

Papyrus closes the door and quickly gets back to Sans, holding him to his chest like the Underground’s most precious treasure,  “YOU DON'T HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT, BROTHER. YOU'RE SAFE NOW, REMEMBER?”

Sans breathes out slowly, going limp in Papyrus’s arms as always,  “y-yeah...h-heh…”

Undyne looks away. “I’m sorry, I can’t possibly understand what you’re going through. Papyrus, You have my full support. A-anyway, I finally talked to Alphys today, like you encouraged me to.” Undyne says, changing the tense subject.

Papyrus’s eyes light up like a teenage girl drinking in details of a friend's relationship,  “REALLY?? WOWIE, I KNEW YOU COULD!”

Sans chuckles,  “should i cover my ears?”

“You don’t even have ears punk. Yeah, she said she would love to go out sometime. Papyrus, you are the greatest friend.”

The skeleton gives a coy smirk,  “THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS THE GREATEST AT EVERYTHING!” He looks down at Sans, grin faltering,  “E-EXCEPT-”

Sans reaches back and baps him on the nose hole, “don't you dare, Paps.” He scolds softly.

Undyne grabs his face, and makes him look at her. “Papyrus, It is not, and never will be your fault. Shit happens. You. Are. THE. Great.Papyrus. Repeat it.”

The taller skeleton clears his throat, squeezing Sans just a bit tighter,  “I AM  _ THE _ GREAT PAPYRUS!”

Sans grins, giving a thankful wink at Undyne,  “you better believe it, bro.”

“ONE MORE TIME PAPYRUS!  _ YOU ARE THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” _ Undyne shouts. “COME ON, GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT!”

Giving a huff, Papyrus takes in a breath and yells at the top of his lungs,  “I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! THE GREATEST PAPYRUS!” He shouts, clinging to Sans and inadvertently pulling his shirt down enough to expose the ‘C D’ carved on his sternum. 

“YEAH, AND DON’T YOU FORGET-uhh, Sans, What the fuck is that on your sternum?”

Sans’s eyes widen and he quickly jerks his shirt up,  “bone, probably. h-heh…”  He needed to get less slutty shirts apparently. 

“No, it looked like letters, Sans, did whoever hurt you carve letters into your bone!?”

Papyrus sits up, and Sans shrinks down against him,  “WHAT? SANS? THERE'S... _ THEY _ CARVED YOU?!”

Oh boy.  “they, uh...didn't  _ not _ do that, a bit..”

“Fuck, well, I won’t ask you to show me. You have been through hell it seems. You are so lucky to have a brother like Paps here to comfort you” Undyne added the last part to stop Papyrus from blaming himself. That’s the last thing she wants to happen.

“I...I CANNOT...CANNOT  _ BELIEVE _ …!” Papyrus shuts his eyes, bones rattling in rage,  “IT WASN'T ENOUGH TO KNOW THEY COULD GET AWAY WITH IT?! THEY HAD TO MARK YOU TOO?!”  He shouts, sobbing and clinging to his brother tightly,  “SANS I-I’M S-SO SORRY! I'M SORRY!”

“Papyrus. Stop blaming yourself this instant, or else I will make you run 20 laps around Snowdin. Understand?”

_ “I'M NOT LEAVING SANS!” _

“Then take him with you! ”

“uh, hey. if you guys could stop it, that'd be great.” Sans pipes up in a grumble,  “i’m supposed to be watching C rated movies right now.”

“What does the C stand for?” Undyne asks, confused.

“Classic.”  Sans grins - it does in his book, anyway.

“Right. Well, I’d better head out my uh... date is tonight so, wish me luck.” Undyne said, blushing.

“GOOD LUCK!”

“be home by 10. use protection. don't hold hands til the third date.” 

Undyne blushes further. “Alright i'm out. Bye!” She yelled as she left the house.

Sans chuckles, closing his eyes,  “she's so smooth.”

“UHM, YES! SHE IS CERTAINLY…”  Papyrus hesitates, and Sans glances up at him curiously.  “...’GILL’TY OF THAT!” He can’t believe he just told such a bad joke.

At first Sans doesn’t react, and Papyrus cringes - is Sans broken so much that he won’t even-

“..heh.”

Papyrus looks down at the wide grin of his brother.

“hehheh...hehheh...hahahahahaha!” Sans covers his face with his hands, shoulders shaking in laughter,  “hahahaha, oh my god,  _ Paps _ , that’s…!”  He bursts into another round of raucous chuckling.

The younger brother smiles, but as secretly as possible, “ALRIGHT IT’S NOT  _ THAT _ FUNNY!”

“hey, if you can think of a better joke than that, let  _ minnow _ .”

“SANS NO!”

“i take it you want me to  _ scale _ back on the fish puns?”

“ _ YES _ THAT WOULD BE…”  Papyrus’s eyes widen in realization, and Sans starts laughing again,  “ _ SAAANNNSS!” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, Chara, that was uncharacteristically honest of you.
> 
> (im a little nervous as to how well i did my Papyrus writing here. i don't write him all that often)  
> Also undyne hey


	3. We Need to Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans tries to negotiate. But Chara only listens to themselves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just kinda Sans reminding Chara that they're a huge piece of shit.

Chara looked over their notebook, having just updated it. They have succeeded so far in working around the exception that is Sans. But, as he said, they fucked up. Now he was a ticking time bomb, no matter what the timeline is. They suppose they can have him and his brother killed, but where is the fun in that? Getting him as an ally was out of the question. He wasn’t interested in helping them, from what they learned from this timeline. Once word gets out that Chara was the one who damaged Sans’s SOUL, they should probably reset back to 20. That way Asriel could be the perfect alibi.

 

Sans was, shockingly, not the first one to fall asleep. Papyrus passed out a few hours into the third movie, probably emotionally exhausted. The older brother, however, was building up quite an immunity to that sort of pain, since it was so inevitable.

He let the video run out and the room to fall silent and dark. He listened to his brother’s breathing. He thought about how safe he felt, how happy to be with Papyrus in spite of the circumstances. His SOUL was damaged, but it seemed like a small price to pay. They'd never felt closer.

_‘...heh. it's all just gonna reset..’_ Sans smiles brokenly at the ceiling, a tear slipping down his cheekbone. At any moment this could all get ripped away. He'd lose everything he'd gained from this timeline - the time with his brother.

All because they would get bored.

_ ‘wonder how long that will take.’  _ Sans thinks, closing his eyes,  _ ‘probably before the night is over.’ _

He'd never been able to do anything to stop a reset before. Why should he try now?

Sans slowly opens his eyes again and looks up at his brother,  “...there's why.” 

Getting up with practiced subtlety, Sans leaves behind a note explaining his absence, should Papyrus wake up before he could return. He gets dressed in his usual jacket and shorts before teleporting to outside the throne room and knocking. It was still the middle of the night, so he wasn’t sure whether or not anyone would answer. Didn’t hurt to try.

Chara hears a distant knocking coming from somewhere in the castle. They leave their study, following the sound. Usually one of the castle staff would do so, but most of them have gone home for the night. The sound is coming from the door outside the throne room, to which they walk over and answer.

“How can I he-....Sans?”

“we need to talk.”

“Follow me to my study.” Chara leads him to their study, and they shut the door once both of them enter. “Speak your mind.”

“we're obviously in an awkward place here.”  Sans invites himself to sit down on a free chair, “considering your last little stunt..” He gives a tight grin and taps his sternum,  “..and the evidence you left behind, i’m a liability. this could wreck up your plans in a lot of ways. every reset would mean you'd have to find a new way to avoid that getting out, and well, to be honest that sounds annoying.”  Sans leans back in the seat, putting his hands in his pockets, “and i’m tired of having to worry about resets.”

“I have learned to work around exceptions. However, I’m listening nonetheless.”

“we need to strike some kinda deal here. i actually  _ like _ this timeline. you've already confessed to my brother, and we both know we have to keep what happened under wraps. he's not under your direct command anymore, and he won't be in danger. i want things to stay like this.”

“And what exactly do I get out of it? Even with you preventing your brother from saying anything, it’s bound to slip out sometime.”

“as far as anyone knows, the Soul Breaker is dead. but fine. what do you want?”

“Entertainment is the main reason I reset in the first place. To see new reactions, new events. There are two things that make me reset Sans: Boredom, and Events that escalate out of my control. If these conditions are met, then I won’t reset.”

Sans sighs,  “in this run  _ i’m  _ the event that is out of your control. but i’m giving you a chance to take it back. i mean…”  He shrugs,  “i put myself right back in your hands by coming here, didn't i?”

“You did, yes. In all honesty, I was planning on keeping this timeline for a while anyway. At least until things went south regarding your situation that is. If you have noticed, the tiniest event can lead to a whole bunch of new effects. One new thing releases a stream of new things. Right now, this timeline is full of those.”

“...so you're not gonna reset?”

“Not anytime soon.” Chara says with a grin.

Nodding, Sans slowly stands up, “but you will eventually..” He sighs, brushing a hand over his scalp,  “...so that’s it, then. there’s nothing i can say to make you give up resetting for forever, is there?” He closes his eyes for a moment, turning around,  “well...can’t say i didn’t try, this time..”

“If you try hard enough, maybe someday you will. I wouldn’t rule it out. However currently I have no intentions of settling. Besides, I have to bring my brother back sometime.”

“ha.” Sans turns on his heel, giving a grin that is less than friendly,  “i don’t get you...Asriel, he’s your  _ brother _ . but you just dust him out of the equation so you don’t have to listen to him.”  He chuckles, “yeah, that’s it, isn’t it? he’s the only one that can make you hesitate. that can make you  _ really think  _ about what it is you’re doing. don’t try to deny it - i’ve seen you murder him so many times. dozens, hundreds, maybe. and you always hesitate. you’re reluctant to hurt him. maybe there’s one shred of decency left in ya, but he’s the only one that can bring it out.”  Sans puts his hands in his pockets, eye sockets blackening,  _ “But all it takes is a quick swing to silence your conscience, isn’t that right?” _

“I think you should mind your own business.”

“this _is_ my business. i’m the only one who knows what sort of demon you _really_ are, and what you can do with the power you’ve been given...i’ve had to watch Papyrus die so many times, and i would do _anything_ to be able to just snap my fingers and make it so it never happened! _A_ _nd you just treat it like a game! Like we’re just mindless toys that you can break over and over and over without consequence!_ ” Sans gives a huff, taking in a breath to calm himself down, “heh...all because you think you can just keep bringing us back...maybe you’ll get to figure it out someday. maybe eventually, you _won’t_ be able to bring Asriel back. you’ll have to really accept what it’s gonna be like to live without your brother for god knows how long, wishing that there was something... _anything_ , that you could do to erase your actions. you’d give anything to keep him alive, but…” Sans shakes his head, turning around again and walking away, “...even your everything won’t be enough.”

“You mind your  _ own _ brother before you mind mine. You forget you are asking me to keep this timeline. I can easily keep your life hell. I could just as easily accuse your brother of your cracked SOUL, ruining his reputation, then keep the timeline forever. Don’t test me.” Chara couldn’t hide the venom in their voice.

“heh.” Sans doesn’t even pause in his walking,  “shows what you know about love. no one in the Underground would believe that Papyrus would hurt me in a million years. they know him. and they know he’d sooner die before harming any living thing. so...i can’t stop you from trying. in the end no one is gonna believe ya, no matter how long you’ve kept up that innocent mask. not to mention you were smart enough to sign your ‘work’, remember?”

“It wasn’t supposed to stay.”

“but it did. and you can’t heal death scars.” Sans glances at the floor, “believe me, i’ve tried.”

“Death scars huh?”

“yeah. i’ve got more than a few…”

So, you have all the marks you had every time you died?”

“sorta. only about...six or seven or so.” Sans pauses to rub at the one on his neck.

“Well, I am pretty sure i have had you killed more than that. So they fade?”

“when you kill by like...magic blasting me, that doesn’t leave anything because there wasn’t a ‘final strike’ sorta thing...your knife, though…” Sans sighs, rubbing his thumb over his sternum through his clothes, “...yeah, that’s responsible for about half of ‘em..”

“I see. Well, it’s getting late. You don’t want your brother to worry right?” They ask with a smirk.

“at least i  _ have  _ a brother to worry about me.” Sans retorts flatly.

“I’d hold your tongue if I were you. It’s best not to stir up trouble with the one who can ruin you further.” They take out their journal and start writing in it idly.

Sans glances back, taking notice. “why do you bother keepin’ a diary? doesn’t it just go blank every time you RESET?”

“What makes you think it’s a diary?”

“that’s avoiding the question. what’s the point?”

“Recreation. Now isn’t there somewhere for you to be?”

Sans rolls his eyes and turns back around, “fine.”

“Farewell.”

Sans rounds the corner, reappearing suddenly in the living room of his house. He takes and crumples up the note he’d left, as Papyrus is still asleep.  “good chat, Majesty.” He mumbles sarcastically,  “got a lot accomplished.”

 

That damn comedian. Chara’s rage got ahold of them, and they lashed out at their desk, all of their papers and files being thrown to the floor in a single swipe of their arm. They sat down and worked on regulating their breathing. They haven’t been this angry in a long time.

Chara laughed. Figures that it would be that skeleton to rile them up more than Asriel ever could. At least they managed to regain control. He came to them asking them to keep the timeline. Now, fragile as that might be, everything is under their control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nerp


	4. Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans takes a little walk alone.  
> That goes about as well as anybody that can predict plots thinks it will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hhhhaaa this is dumb.  
> Sam started shit-posting and we both just went with it.
> 
> Edit: What can I say, tango is my fave dance CX -Sam

“SANS, PLEASE BE CAREFUL!”  Papyrus said again as he followed Sans to the door, wringing his hands nervously,  “MAYBE YOU SHOULDN'T GO OUT YET.”

“it's just a quick walk, Paps. i’ll be fine. i just need some air and quiet for a bit, okay?” Sans steps out of the house, pulling up his hood,  “i’ll be back before you know it.”

Nodding, Papyrus watches him head off, still looking unsure. 

He feels his relaxed demeanor fade away as he feels the eyes of the villagers on him and his fractured SOUL. The pity and horror he can sense in their gazes makes him draw up his shoulders and look down at the ground. Sans knows he should probably get used to it - it’s permanent, after all. Through the RESETS and SAVES and...well...anything else.

But no matter how much he tries to shrug it off the weight of all of those eyes keep falling back on his shoulders. So he changes his plans - instead of a walk down to Waterfall (his favorite place in the Underground), he turns his feet right and heads for his old sentry post. Being remotely close to anybody right doesn’t seem like it will do him much good.

 

Sans sits down next to the door of the Ruins, idly conjuring up a small bone and toying with it in one hand. He hasn't used his magic in awhile, beyond teleportation. He feels a bit out of practice.

Holding his fingers like a gun, he targets a dangling branch and sends the bone flying. It slices through the thin wood holding it to the tree and the stick falls to the snow. 

“pchoo.” Sans grins, leaning back and sighing,  “still sort of got it.”

“Wow, I didn’t even know you  _ could _ fight. It lacks technique though.” Came a voice just out of his field of vision.

Sans stiffens, but stays sitting.  “what do you want, huh?”  He shuts his eyes,  “a bad time?”

Chara laughs, “Is that a threat, Sans? Such a crime towards royalty is punishable by death~” They remind with a cheery voice and furious eyes. 

Sans was having a hard time reading them,  “you here to kill me, then?”

“You tell me.”

“oh, i get to pick.” He rolls his eyes up as if he's in deep thought,  “then..uh, no?”  Sans gives a sarcastic grin, eyes glaring at the prinx,  “i’ll say one thing, you definitely got some nerve.”

“Old habits die hard.” They say with a shrug.

“did you follow me.”

“Mayhap.”

“heh. you're really some kinda  _ freak _ , huh?”  In spite of his attempts to look unconcerned, he's still clearly nervous.

“I have been called worse.”

“yeah i’m sure there's fascinating stories behind all of your nicknames, but, uh…” Sans gets up, dusting off his shorts,  “i don't care. good bye.”  He starts to walk off, anxious to get away from his harasser, pulling up his hood and putting his hands in his pockets to hide the trembling.

Chara grabs his arm, pulling him back. “Surely you wouldn’t mind a dance?”

Sans stumbles back towards his sudden captor, alarmed and confused,  “wh..what?!”

“Dance, you know, Tango, Waltz. Surely sometime during my resets you have learned to dance.”

Well... _ yes _ , but…

“why would i dance with  _ you _ ?” Sans huffs, cheeks starting to burn as Chara yanks him in closer.

“Why not?” Chara asks with a smirk.

Sans glares at them, his damaged SOUL burning in anger,  “how can you  _ ask that _ ?”

“With my voice. It's how I ask many things.”

Sans scowls, glare deepening as Chara grabs his hand and entwines their fingers, “you think you're really clever, huh?”

Chara laughs. “Lead or follow?”

_“_ _Neither._ let go of me you freak!” Sans shoves back against their chest with his free hand, one foot slipping forward on the snow and causing him to grab onto their upper arm in reflex.

“Follow it is then.” Chara says, placing their hand on his back, then takes two steps forward starting with their left foot, then side stepping left, and repeating. Sans is forced to keep holding on as they move too fast for him to get his balance, but all the while he continues trying to free his hand and properly get his feet under him. His face is burning bright blue at this point.

“would you just  _ knock it off _ ?!”

“I must admit, you are really good at following, though, this is only the basic step.” They say, stepping out to the side on their left for two steps, pulling Sans out to their left, then bringing their feet together. Then they step diagonally forward with their left, pulling Sans in a 180° turn, while doing the same, then steps forward with their left, making sure Sans is on his right, turning him another 180° so they are facing each other once more, then they bring their feet together.

His patience is running out rapidly, and he hates the stupid blush in his face that only gets worse every time Chara pulls him in closer and looks him in the eyes, giving that smirk that he hates so  _ fucking much _ this goddamn sick  _ freak _ -

However in spite of his next attempt at escape, he only manages to end up dipping himself, head nearly hitting the snow if not for the hand on his back. He had been prepared to yell at them again but finds himself awkwardly mute as he clings to Chara’s arm and hand.

“I can tell you haven’t danced in a while, you are supposed to wait for the lead to lead you into the dip. You are lucky I was able to catch you~”

_ “i’m not trying to dance, you psychopath!” _ He tries to let himself drop but Chara holds onto him easily. Chara stands him up, and leads him into a spin, which Sans is finally able to break away from them. He shoves them back, falling onto his seat but quickly getting up again, clenching his teeth.  “you’re lucky i want this timeline to keep going, Majesty. otherwise you’d be dead in a lotta ways right now!”

“Ah ah ah~” Chara says, grabbing his arm and pulling him close once again. “You cannot leave yet~”

Sans is pushed back against a tree, giving a grunt as the breath is knocked from his non-existent lungs, “would you just get  _ off of me _ -!”

“What’s a romantic late night Tango without a kiss?” They say, smirking as they kiss him quickly and gently on his mouth.

Sans’s eyes widen in shock and he’s frozen, staring blankly ahead at nothing with really only one main thought going through his head:

_ ‘Why me..?!’ _

Chara lets him go, winking as they turn and walk off, presumably back to the castle. Sans stands there a moment, and then sinks to his seat in the snow, not blinking. Yeah...that blush isn’t going away anytime soon….

 

Chara has not been this amused in a very long time. It was excellent payback for the conversation in their study. The fact that they got Sans blushing was even better. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH YEAH BEFORE I FORGET  
> If anybody knows an artist (a good one with lots of credibility) that we can commission to draw some scenes for us (and someone that would enjoy doing it - not necessarily a reader but an Undertale enthusiast), please pls comment with their name and a link to their tumblr/dA/whatever  
> (please don't volunteer yourself if you don't have a good amount of experience and quality art to showcase - it's super awkward if we have to say no to one of our readers and no one likes awkward situations)  
> Thaaaaannnkkksss much LOVE and stuff buh bye~


	5. Let's Strike a Deal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans fucks up royally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is entirely my fault that it's late. My bad.

That...that stupid..arrogant..smug..evil little piece of  _ shit _ !

Sans stayed stewing in his room for a while, constantly rubbing at his mouth and muttering things to himself under his breath. Yeah that was just  _ hilarious  _ of them - go stalk down the monster that you’d fractured, force them to dance with you under moonlight like it’s just some picture perfect, fairytale romance and not the fucked up, twisted thing that it really is. It’s a relationship that shouldn’t even exist.

But what the fuck is he supposed to do about it…

Sans puts his skull in his hands and groans, falling back to his side on his bed and pulling the sheets over his head. He just...he just wants to  _ forget _ . But evidence is there for forever. His scars, his SOUL, Chara’s stupid little notebook…

His eyes open, his left lighting up blue.

Welp. He knows what he’s going after now.

 

Chara was just leaving their study after filling out the notebook for the day, and headed to bed when Sans secretly teleported nearby, watching as they walk down the hallway, and turn the corner. He hunts through a few stacks of random files and papers (not bothering to be careful) and finally finds the damn thing.

It’s tempting to just burn it up right there in his hand. But these were their notes from multiple timelines. There could be valuable information in here. As a scientist, he can’t just destroy such data. He teleports back to his room, going into his lab immediately and starting the process of copying down every piece of critical evidence.

The notes on himself, though...especially revolving around his latest tortures…

“Tracing my fingers along his ribs gave me signs of pleasure, as indicated by his back arching.

Any time his brother is mentioned, he becomes alert, and defensive.Definite weak point.

His sternum and spine are his most sensitive areas on his torso. Stimulating them stimulates the SOUL.

Will do the lower half at a later date.” 

There are even detailed notes about everyone, and every timeline. The ones that really get to him are the ones about his brother. He cannot bear to read them.

“...f-fuckin’..” Even Papyrus? Even his brother had fallen for that  _ demon’s _ tricks? How had he not  _ known _ ?! How could he have missed that? How could he not have noticed that Papyrus was being…

His clenched fists tremble. They’d pay for this. One way or another he’d make them suffer for everything that they’d done.

 

Their notebook was gone. They had walked into their office to find it completely rifled through, and their notebook was gone. And they had an idea about who. The only other person to know about its existence but them. That damn skeleton.

 

“yyyouuuu are one fucked up piece of shit.”  Sans slams the book closed after reading a (potentially drunken) scrawl that was a bit too personal about Chara’s motives for harassing him.  “i’m gonna pretend i didn’t just read that.” Standing up, Sans rubs at his knees and exits the lab, locking it behind him,  “too much for one day, probably.”

 

Chara paces their room as they think of a plan. The best thing they can do is confront him. If he refuses, then they would have to do something drastic like…

Chara grins as their plan forms in their head. “Oh, Sans, you forget who the power belongs to.”

 

Sans descends the stairs casually, eyes focused on the toes of his shoes, “hey Paps, you wanna go to Grillby’s..?” He is expecting a no, but not silence.  “..........Papyrus?”

“Sans, I believe you have something of mine~”

Sans looks up and stiffens, shoulders drawing back as he sees a weakened Papyrus being held against the wall, a sharpened trident poised to break his neck in half,  “...d-don’t you fucking  _ dare _ …!”

“I won’t, as long as you give me what’s mine. Trust me, you will not like what happens when you refuse.”

Papyrus gives a weak cry of pain as Chara nudges the end of their weapon closer. Sans throws up his hands, eyes wide in panic,  “okay! okay o-okay i b-believe ya, a-alright? n-no need t-to do a-anything...a-anything r-rash, alright? it’s...i-it’s up here, i-i’ll g-get it…”  He takes a step back up the stairs.

Chara smirks at Papyrus. “You should teach your brother not to take what doesn’t belong to him.”

“stop it!” Sans yells, pupils shrinking in panic, “i’m the one that fucked up here! leave...leave him out of it!”

“Hurry up then. I have better things to do then to be stuck here waiting.”

“o-okay okay okay…!” Sans hurries back into his lab, grabbing the damn notebook and rushing back downstairs with it, “alright here! you’ve got what’s yours n-now let him go!”

Chara held out their free hand expectantly. Sans puts it in their palm, and then reaches for his brother. 

Chara grabs his wrist. “One more thing, since you did take the time to break into the castle and take my property.”

Sans freezes, gaze roving back and forth between Chara and his brother. “i gave it  _ back _ just let him go!”

“There must be a penalty, after all you did steal from the Prinx~.”

Sans breathes out harshly through his teeth,  “what do you want?”

“Well, time in the dungeon is usually the punishment, but, I am always willing to negotiate.”

“then let's talk this out somewhere else, huh?  _ let him go _ .”

“I don’t think I can trust you. I am going to keep him here until we decide on your penalty.”

Sans narrows his eyes, suddenly appearing between Chara and Papyrus, pushing them off of him before grabbing them by the arm and vanishing away to the right corridor of the castle. 

 

Dizzy, and surprised from the sudden teleportation, they fall over. “Wow, you are just full of surprises aren’t you?”

“don't touch him  _ ever again _ , got it?” Sans growls. 

“Don’t touch my stuff.” They say, smirking as they stand.

“fine! yeah it was a stupid idea i admit that, okay?!”

“So,what’s it gonna be?”

“i get to pick again, huh?”

“Aye.”

“i go home and don't come near you again.”  He suggests. 

“Nice try, you are not getting off so easy.”

“well what do you _want?”_ Sans huffs, glaring at them, “i’m not exactly feelin’ charitable right now so keep it realistic.”

“Surely you can start working at the castle again, After all, you can teleport and you don’t need to stay here. I suppose that’s a start. Better than the dungeon.”

Sans gives a tight grin, “i never ‘worked’ here, though, did i?”

“Well, I'm sure that you will be working more since you have a little brother at home.”

Sans clenches his fists,  “if you're threatening Papyrus..” He warns.

“So what if I am?”

“then..”  Sans tries to hold their gaze, ultimately dropping his eyes to the floor and stepping back. Then nothing. They were the one in control here. 

“Go on, finish what you were going to say.”

“.......then there's nothing i can do but cooperate to keep him safe.” He puts his hands in his pockets and looks away.  “that what you wanted to hear?”

“I don’t know, is it?” They say, smirking.

“ _ i don't know. _ ” Sans snaps, face heating up to his dismay at the underlying entendre of the situation. He turns his body away, curling up his fists.  “just...whatever it takes for you to stay away from my brother, i’ll do it. alright?”

“Is that so?”

“...y..y-yeah.”  God, what was he damning himself to? This sick little freak had only wanted him to complete their track record, but now…? Who the hell knew why they were still being so terrifyingly persistent. 

They grab his arm, pulling him within inches of their face. “Fascinating.”

Sans swallows, struggling to hold their gaze,  “only if you promise...no, if you swear on your  _ SOUL  _ not to hurt him...otherwise, no deal.”

“Deal. But if you cross me again, Next time I leave your house covered in his dust.”

Sans grits his teeth, fists curling up tightly as he suppresses the urge to let his eye flare up in warning.  _ “Fine.” _

“However, keep that attitude, I find it amusing~”

Sans’s eyes narrow.  “if i try to keep this up you're gonna be dead in a day.”

Chara laughs. “Only a day? Such self control~”

“i think it's pretty clear i’ve lost my patience with you a loonnnggg time ago.”

Chara leans closer, cheek to cheek as they speak into where his ear should be. “I never had patience to begin with~”

Sans shuts the eye closest to Chara, tugging his held arm free and stepping back, “...don't..” 

They push him against the wall, pinning him by his shoulders. “Don’t what?” They say, grinning.

The skeleton squirms under their grip,  “..just..!  _ this _ !” Sans sputters, growing fearful at the look on Chara's eyes. 

Chara lets him go. "Very well, I'll just go and check in on Papyrus then~"

"n-no wait, i-” Sans steps forward, eyes widening,  “...never mind."

"Never mind what?" They cross their arms, smirking.

Sans takes in a breath . "never mind what i said, you can.." He hesitates, shifting his jaw.

"Can...?"

"...do what you want." He relents with a quiet sigh.

"Do what I want with what?"

Sans shuts his eyes. "...me."

"Say it."

Sans looks at them, cheeks beginning to burn.  "what..?"

"Tell me to do whatever i want with you~"

He steps back, a little mortified at that idea, “wh-what…?!”

“Did I stutter?”

“........you…” Sans has to look away,  “..you can do what you want with me.” He mumbles under his breath. 

“You can do better than that~”

_ “do what you want with me.” _ He snaps, still defiant.

They come close to him once more, tracing a finger on his sternum. “Oh, come on Sans, you are holding out on me~”

He immediately shivers, shoulders slacking against the wall. This isn't going to be over until he swallows his pride. “mmph-..do what you want with me.”  He whispers, eyes down as he lets Chara push down the collar of his shirt. The sensation makes him alternatively stiffen and relax.

Chara chuckles, running an electrified finger on his sternum. “Gladly.”

Sans grunts, one eye closing, “you're gonna have...have to reset, ya know…”

“What do you mean?”

“hff...if you want me w..workin’ here, then...P-Papyrus can't...kn-know…”

“That sounds more like your problem than mine.” They say, taking their finger off of him. “Speaking of which, he must be pretty worried about you right now. Better go to him. Oh, if he starts causing trouble I will just dust him, or worse” They turn away with a smirk, and start walking down the hall.

“please just reset, Chara!”  Sans calls after them, a hand held protectively over his sternum,  “i won't be able to stop him!”

“I thought you wanted me to keep this timeline?”

“yeah..but i fucked up, so...i can't have this anymore.”

“I don’t know~. You are not doing a very good job of convincing me too.”

Sans rolls his eyes,  “how am i supposed to do that, then?”

“Figure it out. It’s not  _ my _ brother's life on the line,  _ he _ is already dead.” They were beginning to enter the more populated areas of the Castle. “Time is running out Sans.”

_“Chara for fuck’s sake_ _I don't know what to do_ _._ you…” Sans gives a frustrated sigh, “...you're my first... _anything_ , alright?! i’ve lived a hundred years through every goddamn reset you’ve caused, and i have _never_ dealt with this shit before because it was _pointless._ so i can't just ‘figure it out’, i need to be _told_. otherwise neither of us are going to be happy with this fucked up deal. got it?!”

Chara stops walking and turns around. “You can beg for your brother’s life.”

Sans stares for a moment, and then slowly turns his gaze to his feet, shifting back and forth, “ ...Chara, please….please keep Papyrus out of this. i promise i’ll cooperate, just...don't hurt him. he doesn't deserve it.”

“Beg on your knees, because I could just kill him now, and force you to live without your brother for an indeterminate amount of time.”

Sans’s eyes widen, and he quickly drops down,  “no, no no no no Chara please i’ve had to live without him too many times already don't take him from me again,  _ please _ !”

“Very well, I’ll reload. But remember, our deal still stands.” 

Next thing Sans knows is that he is in bed, a week ago.

“ _ SANS YOU LAZY BONES YOU-” _ Papyrus stops and stares at the empty bed. “...HUH. WELL..GOOD!” He shuts the door and goes on his way, happy but also confused to find his brother already awake and roaming about at this hour. He was probably just sleeping somewhere else...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wELP  
> Thoughts? Questions?  
> (yes there will be a part 3, uh dur)

**Author's Note:**

> Sans isn't going to be this jumpy all the time. He'll calm down. It's just...well, considering the circumstances..


End file.
